In our monthly series on consumer products, we feature some of the latest tablets, laptops and hybrids available in the Indian market.
By Anirudh Vohra
iPad Air 2: With a width of 6.1 mm, the iPad Air 2 is undoubtedly Apple’s best tablet to date. Its Touch ID fingerprint scanner works well. It’s thin, light and powerful, and lasts a long time on a single charge. But it no longer stands head and shoulders above the competition. How much: R35,900 onwards
iBall Slide: The iBall Slide 3G 7803Q-900 is a decent tablet, especially given its price of R5,940, although we can’t be sure if its size makes it a comfortable phone to use. But then, look at the calling feature as an added advantage. We would not recommend this as a primary phone, but go ahead if you are looking for a second device. How much: R5,940
Asus Fonepad 7: If budget is a concern and you need a good device that will serve you both as a tablet and phone, the Fonepad 7 is a very good option. Don’t think of it as a high-end smartphone. This is more of a workhorse device that won’t let you down. How much: R9,500
Yoga 2: Given the price point of R20,990, the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 is one of the best value-for-money Android tablets in the market at the moment. It gives you great functionality, a full-HD screen, good battery life and an overall experience that is better than what you have paid for. How much: R20,990
Galaxy Note 10.1: The Galaxy Note 10.1 is loaded with features—multi-window, smart stay, air view, etc—some of which Samsung users might already be aware of, but people migrating from iOS or even vanilla Android may have to climb the learning curve. And once you get a hang of things, this tablet can be extremely productive. How much: R29,599
Laptops
New MacBook Pro: Apple has updated its MacBook Pro with Retina display, giving it a faster processor and double the memory at a lower price. The starting price of the non-Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro has also been cut by R11,000, while the Retina display starts at R94,900. How much: R78,900 onwards
Acer Aspire E15: If you are looking for a very affordable, fully-functional laptop, then the Acer Aspire E15 is definitely a good option. We would recommend this for school and college students, but not for those looking for a laptop for business needs. How much: R20,999
Acer R7: The Acer R7 has a sharp and colourful display with an innovative and unique design. For R85,000, the Acer Aspire R7’s stylus input and Haswell processor add value to this unique flip-screen hybrid. How much: R85,000
Asus Transformer 550: The main difference between the Asus Transformer Book Flip TP550 and a classic notebook is the modified hinge that allows you to tilt the display at a maximum angle of 360 degrees. As a result of this, the Transformer can tilt, take the form of a multimedia stand or even a tablet. How much: R47,999
Toshiba Sat p50: Designed for great everyday performance, Toshiba’s Satellite range products are affordable and yet deliver on features like power and portability. How much: R69,420
Hybrids:
Asus Flip Book: The Transformer Flip Book is available with Intel Core i3 and i5 processors. The Flip Book TP550LD is a 15.6-inch Windows 8.1 laptop, which comes with a hinge design that enables the screen to be set at any angle between 0 and 360 degrees. How much: R47,999 onwards
Notion Ink Cain: This is a pretty good product and a value-for-money deal. You get what is essentially a fully functional touch-capable Windows PC. It’s far more flexible and work-friendly than Android tablets and iPads at the same price point available in the market today. How much: R19,900
iBall Slide WQ149: iBall has launched its second Windows tablet, the WQ149. The new two-in-one hybrid tablet comes with a magnetic pogo pin keyboard, which has an integrated touchpad. How much: R24,999
Idea Pad A10: This is one of the first Android tablets with a permanently attached keyboard. The A10 has a 10-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 1,366×768 pixels. However, it doesn’t have very good viewing angles. How much: R19,999